Calen Reece Dennis has been named 2014 PAGE STAR Student for Dodge County High School. Judy Hemphill Madden, president of the Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce, local sponsor of the Dodge County STAR program, made the announcement March 12, 2014.

Dennis, the son of Ronnie and Melinda Dennis of Eastman, selected Selena Woodard, South Dodge Elementary first grade teacher as his STAR teacher. Dennis stated, “I’ve always had a passion for learning and it wasn’t until later that I realized that Mrs. Woodard was the reason for that. She was the first teacher to make learning fun.”

Though she was surprised and elated to be chosen as STAR teacher, Woodard was not surprised at Dennis’s success. “He was always curious and driven,” Woodard said of the qualities that Dennis possessed as a child. “He always had the drive to learn more and to go the extra mile, but was never arrogant. He was and still is a very cool kid.”

The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, in its 56th year and is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education. Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 24,0000 students and teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement.

To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the three part SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average. Dennis’ score of 1970, was the highest score in a single sitting of is entire class.

DCHS principal Dr. Susan Long stated, “I’m proud to have had the opportunity to work with Calen. He is an outstanding young man and student and he will represent Dodge County High School in an exemplary manner.”

STAR begins each year in participating high schools throughout Georgia when the STAR Student is named and chooses a STAR Teacher to share in this recognition. The students and their teachers are honored by their schools and receive special recognition in their communities from local sponsors like the Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce. Students then compete for school system titles, and those winners compete for region honors. Region winners compete for the honor of being named State PAGE STAR Student.

Dennis has been ranked in the top five of his class for all four years of his high school career, achieved a perfect score on the Georgia High School Graduation Writing Test and has been a participant in the RESA writing competition every year since he was in third grade. Last summer he represented DCHS on the Washington Youth Tour sponsored by OEMC. He was named a Rotary Scholar and nominated for the 2013 Governor’s Honors Program.

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